Lainnir a' Bhuirn - The Gleaming Water

The Gaelic poet Derick Thomson alludes to the Scottish Gaelic language in his poem An Tobair: "chunnaic mi lainnir a' bhuirn ud/ a ni slan gach ciurradh/ gu ruig ciurradh cridhe. - I saw the sparkle of that spring/ that makes whole every hurt/ til the hurt of the heart." The image of the well or spring is a powerful and fitting symbol in relation to the current position of Scottish Gaelic language and culture, and its future potential. The essays in this volume show the depth and richness of Gaelic literature. Covering topics as diverse as literary theory, translation, publishing, as well as dealing with the work of specific poets and writers, this collection highlights many of the themes of Gaelic literature in the 20th century and begins to explore the direction it takes in the 21st century. The book originates from a conference held in the Department of Celtic and Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 2009 on the subject of Gaelic literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. Half of the essays were originally presented at the conference, while the other half have been submitted for this collection through invitations extended to leading scholars in the field of Gaelic literature. (Please note that five of the twelve essays are written in Gaelic.)